ASKOJ decries harassment of journalists

The Association of Kano Online Journalists, ASKOJ has decried the increasing cases of police invitations and detentions of journalists across the country.

Describing the trend as deeply worrying after a journalist working with Waraka Online TV, Abdulaziz Aliyu was held by the police in Kano yesterday, Chairman of the group, Yakubu Salisu said the safety of journalists and freedom of press must be guaranteed.

He said, Journalism is a constitutionally recognized profession, yet some individuals intoxicated by power view it as a threat and use state resources to harass, intimidate, arrest, and, in some cases, endanger the lives of journalists.

Aliyu, who was detained for over two hours last night at the Court Road Area Command, Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano, over a publication.

Aliyu was first contacted by an officer who identified himself as CSP Sabo, claiming that a stolen phone investigation linked him to a suspect and requested his presence at the station. Upon arrival, however, he was confronted with an entirely different matter: a complaint over his publication. “The police deceived me; it was about an article that allegedly offended some individuals,” Aliyu recounted.

The said publication was a Hausa historical program on Karama Radio, Sarkin Zazzau Malam Jafaru Ɗan Isiyaku wanda ya mulki ƙasar Zazzau daga 1937 zuwa 1959 which was also shared on Waraka Online TV where Aliyu works.

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While the Association of Kano Online Journalists (ASKOJ) does not condone unprofessional conduct, we insist that journalists’ safety and press freedom must be protected.

We call on relevant authorities and stakeholders to respect the role of journalism in society and to seek redress through lawful, civil channels without violating journalists’ rights.

However, he was released on bail late into the night but asked to return in the morning for a continuation of the case.

The Police Public Relation Officer SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa as at the time of filing this report promised the police correspondence and PPRO WhatsApp platform to get more details of the case.